H is for Hockey

For my A-Z challenge this year I'm taking a look at sports. Olympic ones, ancient ones, weird ones and some just non sporting sports. I'm not athletic or even particularly fit but there are some sports I enjoy watching and in composing my posts I've come across many that I'd never heard of. Join me in a sporting journey from the comfort of your couch (or wherever else you're reading this) and thanks for stopping by.

Hockey is the oldest known ball and stick game: records exist of it being played in Persia in 2000 BC. It's also a sport I have actually played. I even managed to make the school team for a couple of games. But I did not last long - I ended up with a black eye and missing half an eyebrow when one of the players forgot the rule that the stick is not supposed to be swung too high. That, and playing on wet muddy fields in the winter truly put paid to my competitive spirit.

It's been an Olympic sport since 1908 but interest in the game increased dramatically when the move to playing on artificial pitches rather than grass was made in the 1970s. It makes for a much faster and exciting game.

I struggled to find a cartoon image for Hockey - most of them came up as Ice Hockey - begins with I not H and no that's not my post for tomorrow. So I give you this:

Because apparently Haggis Hurling is a sport!

Now I was aware of the Highland Games held in Scotland where everything from Cabers to Hammers get tossed and dogs get herded but I wasn't aware of Haggis Hurling.

Apparently it's done from a platform, usually a barrel, and apart from aiming to hurl it the furthest distance, the haggis has to remain edible. Remain edible? As far as I'm concerned it was never edible in the first place!

Fortunately I know that most readers of my blog don't hail from Scotland but for any visitors that do, apologies! I'm good at waffle not tripe.